Oh My Goodness

About 5 am a severe thunderstorm struck our area.  Alarms started going off everywhere, my police units couldn’t see in front of them to drive, I had guards out trying to find cover, we lost power and county set off their sirens without notifying us.  What a mess.

I know I did several things wrong during this massive incident but am not sure what all it is.  I will let my replacement know and she can evaluate the calls and let me know what I need to do differently next time.  This was my first major weather incident since working here so it was crazy.  I relied heavily on my Lieutenant to know what to do and pretty much followed what he said.  Hopefully that was correct.

I hope my replacement comes in early enough to discuss it because I can’t stay late when I have to be back in at 3pm.  She doesn’t have a trainee today but I bet it is still a hopping day for her with continued problems due to the storm.

Yes, it was crazy and I was a bit under pressure - but overall, I had a good time with the emergency.  I work well under pressure as a rule and even better when the pressure is weather related because I love natural disasters…not what they do to people but the awesome force they wield.

Hills had straight line winds which caused a lot of damage from what the county is saying over the radios.  No one was  hurt though so that is always good! Whew, glad it is over now and I can go home shortly!

George W Bush Sewer Facility

Ok, this just made me laugh.  San Fransisco, being the enlightened city that it is, has put on their ballot to vote on a name for their new sewer facility.  Yep, they are purposing to name it after our current President in a satirical attempt to show just what they think of him.

Bush has long not been popular in California and is not expected for the new sewer facility’s christening should it be voted in.  I think it is rather a befitting epilogue to a President who has flushed America down the proverbial toilet.  As far as I can tell, me being of small mind, Bush has failed to do anything constructive or helpful to this country the past 8 years.

I have always felt he has his own agenda when he ran for the presidency.  I knew he’d get is back into a war and I knew oil prices (as he has affiliation to oil companies) would skyrocket.  He has never proven himself trustworthy.

So I say “Good Show” to San Fransisco for it’s ingenuity in finding a perfect memorial to this President’s reign.

Sagging Pants

Hooray for Chicago’s Linwood suburb! They have taken the first step to restrict the offensive practice of guys wearing their pants down around their thighs! If you have sagging pants that show in excess of 3 inches of your unmentionables, you can be fined $25 according to the mayor of that city.

Of course, there are groups that say this is offensive to young black men who seem to be the biggest perpetrators of this fashion faux pas.  Personally, I just find it offensive no matter who is wearing them.  I can’t tell you how many times youngsters have tried running across a busy street only to trip or almost trip when their pants drop to their ankles.  How safe is that???

Not to mention that often, when the pants drop, their private parts are a little exposed which equates to indecent exposure.  My own son wore this style in his teens (though his pants never went down below his buttocks) and I hated it back then.

Whatever happened to actual fashion???

At Work

I have been at work for 2 1/2 hours now.  I have 1 1/2 hours to go before I can go back to my sister’s house.  They did not need me to be here from 3am-7am so I don’t know what the scheduler was thinking.  I know she thought I needed to get an additional 4 hours in somewhere but really…3- 7 am? How crazy is that???

I spent the first hour reading other people’s blogs - something I don’t seem to have time for these days.  I always read my family’s blogs but often don’t get to check out the blogs of those people I have links to on my blogroll.  So tonight I checked out everyone’s and made a few comments.

Then, having read those, I decided to write a note to my friends down in Florida.  Took me pretty much of the next hour to write them a two page letter.  This last half hour I spent reading my junk mail.  Such an exciting time.

I am going to have to be more inventive to come up with something for the remainder of the time.  I did get my uniforms when I came in to work today - they are too long in the legs.  I told her a 32″ length but they must be 34″ as I keep falling over them.  The rest of the stuff fits fine.  It was good to get the jacket because I had forgotten to bring one and it is chilly in here tonight.

It is starting to get light outside - it is my favorite time at work, watching the city awaken.  Hope to be in bed here shortly. 

I did check out fares to Florida earlier.  It would cost $560 or so to fly two people there.  I don’t have the money to buy tickets now so am hoping the price doesn’t skyrocket between now and when I do.  I might just have to go down by myself.

Night

My sister tells me I don’t write enough posts so I’m writing several this weekend.  Also, I have the writing bug but don’t have access to my stories to write on so guess I have to satisfy the urge to write by doing posts.

The races are going on at the race track tonight as they do every Saturday night this time of year.  Sound really carries so it sounds like they are in the backyard even though they are probably a mile away.  I’ve never cared for the races or even the demolition derby that they have during the fair.  Speaking of the fair, it starts in a couple of weeks.  I won’t be going - have never cared for fairs either.  My sister’s family buys season tickets so they can go every day and to any event the fair has such as concerts.

I read on the internet that Jeff Goldblum is taking Chris Noth’s part in Criminal Intent.  I am happy about that as I really didn’t like Chris that well anyway.  Hopefully Jeff will bring some levity to the show - hope his character goes well with whatever female they have on the show then.  Eams and Goran work quite well together so we need that seamless quality with whoever does the other shows as well.  I don’t know why they split Criminal Intent into two different teams - I’ve always thought Goran and Eams carried the show very well but I guess the new team gives the others more of a break.

I know, how did I jump from the fair to Criminal Intent? LOL  Well, I’m watching Criminal Intent right now and saw Chris Noth so it triggered my memory about Jeff Goldblum. 

Hate to admit it but I’m tired.  It is only 9:20 pm and makes me wonder how I’m going to switch back over to working nights this week.  Damn, I’m so sick of them screwing with my schedule.  Course, in August I work five day shifts and the rest are nights.  I only did that because I need the money to work on the condo - it is going to be hell getting through it though.

Can’t decide if I want to go to bed now or try to make it later.  Usually my brother-in-law is anxious to go to bed by now but tonight he is out working in the garage.  Once he gets done out there he will want to shower and stuff so I could potentially stay up till about 11pm.  The question is, can I keep my eyes open that long? I took two Tylenol PM’s about twenty minutes ago so those should be kicking in soon on top of already being tired.

Well, anyway, guess I’ll at least close down the computer for the night since it is getting warm on my lap and I hear the garage door shutting which signals that he is about done out there.  Guess he is going to work in the bathroom now - he is putting up a new curtain rod or something.

FRIDAY!

Really am glad it is finally Friday and I have time off work.  NOT that I have anything to do because I don’t.  I won’t have any money until Tuesday so won’t be doing anything until then.  Then I’m suppose to go up to Carolyn’s house for the day - I am kind of looking forward to that.  I plan to leave early so I can get there early and then leave early Wednesday so I can get home.  I’m going to find someplace to move to on Thursday at the latest.  Actually I hope to have a place rented on Monday and move into it on Thursday.  Hmmm…maybe I should skip going to Carolyn’s until the weekend.  :-(  Probably shouldn’t go at all money wise.

I don’t know people, it seems like nothing changes and I’m so ready for things to get better.  I’ve been trying to figure out what the right thing to do about my condo and how I’m going to be able to afford a place up here if I don’t sell it down there.  I can’t support two places, I just don’t make enough.  My brother-in-law said my condo is like a retirement thing - hang on to it until it becomes too valuable to keep.  I wish I could keep it but I don’t know.  Guess God has to figure it out and let me know.

My sister came across a mobile home for sale in West Branch that sounds like something I could live in but, of course, I don’t think I can come up with the money to buy it so oh well.  Really, damn.  Life is so unpredictable so who knows what will happen - I can’t really get enthused about anything.  I know, everyone thinks it is depression but it is more that nothing seems to be going right and I’d rather just not think about it.

So many things seem unfair - I’m so tired of it all.  I will find a place to live and I will get settled in - it just will take a bit.  There is a condo that I can afford in the paper.  It is in the complex a lady I use to work with lived in so I’ve seen the inside and it is a nice condo.  However, it is in a rotten neighborhood and that worries me.  The place use to be so prestigious before the city built a rent-assisted apartment complex next door.  Now the place is stuck between two assisted housing places were crime rate is high so it’s reputation has suffered.  If I was sure the place would be secure, I wouldn’t hesitate to rent a condo there.  I might anyway if they allow me to have my dog.  What the heck, right? I lived in a bad neighborhood in Florida and managed just fine.

If one keeps their safety constantly in their mind, they can remain safe.  Plus I work mostly nights so wouldn’t get back home till 3am or even 7am the next day so chances of running into trouble is pretty slim. I don’t think I’d have much trouble talking myself into the condo if they accepted pets.  They don’t say if they do or don’t in their ad.  Hope so.  It would be within biking and walking distance to work plus on the busline.  Course, how safe is my car there? Might have to park it elsewhere…like in my parking spot for work. 

One good thing about the condo is that it is cheap enough that I wouldn’t struggle so much in keeping my condo for awhile longer.  That would be very good…I’d like to go down for a visit there after Christmas maybe.

If Wishes Were Horses…

My grandmother use to tell me “if wishes were horses, we all could ride” - an old saying that, I suppose, had a much deeper meaning back in the days of horse and buggy.  Yes, she lived through those days!

As I wrote in another post, I’ve been begging God to free me of the normal work week - to let me make a living writing instead of toiling away at an 8 hr shift day like the rest of the world.  So far, he has not answered me.

I don’t think I’m special - I know that most people live in quiet hatred of their jobs and would gladly tell their boss to “take this job and shove it” if only they could.  Lately, I’ve been craving that cabin in the mountains away from civilization and all the messes civilized people bring to each day.  I know that if something happened that my son would move with me, I’d be packing up to go now.  OK, I’m not even unpacked from my move up from Florida so I could be ready, set to go in a matter of hours.

If I won the lotto, buying a cabin in Montana would be on my list of first top five things to do when the money hit my bank account.  I’d call a realitor and tell them to find me my dream cabin NOW.  It would be awesome.  Of course, I’d also be buying a nice beach house in Oregon or Washington just to even things out a bit.

Of course, one would have to play the lotto to actually win…though I think I have a better chance if someone else buys me a ticket…preferably someone with really good luck.

Man, these people are really, really, really driving me nuts! They keep going out in unsafe zones making our officers go out after them.  It is very much a safety hazard and I hope the officer’s get sick enough of it that they start citing people because this is just ridiculous.  What part of a barricade don’t you understand? Do you think it is just an obstacle course we put up to inconvenience you?? I want to slap them silly.

Only 4 1/2 hours to go……sounds like forever.  Just had a person stop in wanting several wrist bands.  She seemed irate when I looked confused.  What are we doing wrist bands for?? I asked.  Well, it seems someone came up with this grand idea of doing different color wrist bands for different levels of security in different “closed” buildings around campus.  She needed green and pink ones for her staff.

Luckily the LT knew about it and sent me in the right direction to get her what she needed.  She certainly wasn’t overly nice about it but I suppose this flooding is wearing on everyone’s nerves.

Couple Divorced 10 Years Without Their Knowledge

Ok, these inlaws in India were rather ingenious in their attempt to get rid of their new sister-in-law.  Apparently, the brother of the groom was a lawyer and forged divorce documents for his brother because he didn’t like his sister-in-law. 

The groom’s family has violent tendancies and when the bride went to file a lawsuit against her inlaws for abuse, she was told that they were no longer her inlaws and hadn’t been for 10 years.  The couple will be rectifying the problem of the forged divorce as they claim to be quite happily married.

I guess it is good that they are happily married because otherwise she wouldn’t get any of their accumulated wealth for the past ten years.

In other news - Beijing is putting together an official “chant” for their citizen’s to chant at the Olympic games.  Guess they don’t want them coming up with something on their own that might embarrass the country.  I can think of a few chants Americans would come up with that would be less then dignified.

In Texas a woman won a $10,000 prize at a minor league baseball game.  She hopes she isn’t going to need to cash it in soon though as the prize is a prepaid funeral.  Guess she can die now knowing she is going to have one heck of an all expense paid funeral.  Think I’d rather win a cruise.

Iowa City is bracing for flooding that may or may not happen.  The city is also providing sand and bags for people who want to beat the rush and get their sandbags together now.  The University is already starting to sandbag Mayflower Dorm in hopes that, should it flood, they don’t have the extensive damage they had in 1993.  Residents were moved to other dorms last night.

According to the Corp of Engineers, there shouldn’t be a big worry about flooding unless it keeps raining…and raining…and raining.  Oops, what is in our forecast today? Rain? But of course.  I personally don’t think there is anything to worry about but then again, I work on top of a hill and currently reside in a small town far from the river.  I wonder how well the bridges would hold up if we did get the flood waters like those of 1993.  The bridges are all 14 years older now…   If I move to Coralville next month and the water is really high against the bridges, I wonder if claiming to be afraid to cross them to get to work would be a good excuse for missing a few days? Um…probably not.

What’s the Rhyme for June?

Isn’t there a rhyme for June? You know, “April showers bring May flowers”…so what is June’s? What does June bring to the table? Usually it starts getting warmer and the storms start getting more intense because it is warmer. 

Let’s try “June weather brings July feathers”…uh, no.  “May flowers bring June…” what rhymes with flowers? OK, “June’s storms are neat and bring July heat.”  LOL  “May cumulus makes June luminous” 

I give up.  Surely someone needs to come up with something that rhymes so that the months fall together properly.  If anyone knows what the poem is, please let me know.  I hate having something like that rolling around in my head for hours.

Have I mentioned recently?

Have I mentioned recently that I wish I was rich? That I wish I had the money to do the things I’d like to do…all the time? I mean, not have to live paycheck to paycheck but to always have money in the bank.  If I decided today that I wanted to drive off on an adventure to…I don’t know, maybe Arizona…I could do so without having to worry about where the money was coming from.

Or if I’m writing a story and it takes place in New Zealand and I get the hankering to see the place I’m writing about, I could just call up to book a ticket without worrying about planning it out a year in advance so I could get the time off work and save up the money for the trip.

To me, that is being rich.  I don’t need so many millions in the bank - I just want money to not be a barrier to the things I want to do.  Doesn’t that seem reasonable?

I know, why should I be given this type of life when everyone else wants the same thing? Well, not everyone.  I suppose there are a few people out there who like going to their jobs day after day and never wish to be free of the rut they are in.  They accept that this is their life and go about it without contemplating or dreaming of it being any different.  To me, that is very sad.  To them, it is very sad how I wish my life away.

I say I don’t “wish my life away” because I am still doing what they are doing - going to work everyday, paying bills and so forth.  But they would probably argue that I’m not finding a sense of joy or peace with the everyday hum drum if I keep spending my time wishing things were different.  I suppose they’d have a point.  I keep telling myself to live in the moment because those moments are what turn into years.

I look at my sister’s pictures on the walls of her kids when they were little and I think, ‘man, wasn’t that just yesterday?’ but of course it wasn’t.  The time flies by so fast.  There are only so many grains of sand in each of our hourglasses of life…the older I get, the more I want to slow the amount of sand that keeps sifting through the hourglass and out of my reach.  I want to slow down time but instead it seems to drain away even faster.

Right now I’m sitting on my sister’s couch enjoying the many different birds out there chirping out their little songs of life.  Opps, the sirens just went off so that kind of drowns them out.  It must be the first Monday of the new month and they are testing the emergency sirens - I know they are doing that at work as well right now.